Miner’s Mailbag V
6.25.10 Camden, NJ (Graham Lucas)
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@EdCochran18: Can you address the cultures of different venues?
This is one of the weirdest factors of going on tour—by far. Because you are (usually) in a different state every night, the first thing that comes into play are state laws. Last summer, for example, when tour jumped from California into the south and then back to Colorado, the culture was like day and night. Weed and other drugs are seen so differently from state to state in the US, its hard to believe we are still in the same country sometimes, (see OKC.) Thus the first thing to verse yourself on is the laws of where you are and how seriously they have it out for hippies. But then the venues, themselves, can be extremely laid back or tight. For example, at Bill Graham Civic the ushers patrolled to make sure you were smoking weed and not cigarettes (this is a fact), while at Merriweather, there are teen-aged girls, backed by an urban security SWAT team, making sure your feet don’t cross painted lines on the aisles in the pavilion, less they kick you onto the lawn (also a fact.) Sometimes security takes themselves way to seriously (Jones Beach) while others they encourage you to have fun (Hampton.) It’s pretty crazy to bounce from venue to venue and have to adjust to a new set of norms on a nightly basis when all you’re trying to do is dance and feel good, but—alas—that’s why Jedi training is a huge asset on Phish tour.
Chillest Venues: The Gorge, Hampton, Dick’s
Tightest Venues: Merriweather Post, Jones Beach, Virginia Beach
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@Teddier: Five years into the future-what are Phish doing to keep their interest fresh and will their music change much by then?
Five years! Wow. Phish has only played four years in this era and we are jumping five more ahead. I’ll be completely honest and say that Phish 2017 may or may not exist. While I certainly hope so, five more years is a long time for these guys to keep going. For some reason, I don’t see Phish following the Grateful Dead model of play until you drop. I suppose nothing stands in their way of playing five years and beyond except a desire to move on. If they are still playing in five years, I sure hope the band has a couple more albums under their belt and we are hearing a hell of a lot of new material! Improvisationally, however, the sky is the limit. As long as these four guys are committed to each other, I am confident they will crank out high quality jams. Any stylistic conjecture would be sheer speculation of which I wouldn’t even know where to start. If Phish has one thing going for them, their fans will never lose interest no matter what they do. Tour wise, let me take a wild guess—maybe summer tour and a new years run?
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@Matthewgerber79: Do you ever see Mikes Song or YEM ever returning to their former improv glory, or has that ship sailed along with Halley’s?
Interestingly, all it takes is Trey’s will and either of these songs can snap back into form on any given night. But for whatever reason, I don’t see it happening. “YEM” doesn’t feel like as huge of a loss as “Mike’s,” which has gone from a top three jam vehicle for the second half of the ‘90s to a recycled guitar build. But at least “Mike’s” is over in eight minutes these days, while “YEM” still has nearly ten minutes of composition and five minutes of a vocal jam, leaving the song with negligible payoff on any given night. Everyone has been focusing on the rarity of “YEM” over the past two years as if it’s a bad thing, but if the band is only gonna step into four minutes of generic funk, my preference is to leave it on the shelf. There’s no need to kill so much of a set with the theatrics that are “YEM.” It’s unquestionably one of Phish’s greatest songs, but they’ve played it so much over their career, it seems like they no longer know how to make it interesting.
Here are some personal favorites in no particular order and without racking my brain:
Bliss:
“My Left Toe” 7.21.99, Star Lake
“Reba” 7.6.94, Montreal
“Harry Hood” 12.28.10, Worcester
“Bathtub Gin” 8.17.97, Great Went
“Bathtub Gin” 9.12.99, Portland Meadows
Groove:
“Sand > Quadraphonic Toppling” 12.31.99, Big Cypress
“Ghost” 5.22.00, Radio City
“Bathtub Gin” 7.29.98, Riverport
“Roses Are Free” 4.3.98, Nassau
“Mike’s Song” 12.31.95, MSG
Shred:
“Tweezer” 12.2.95, New Haven, CT
“Piper” 7.18.99, Oswego
“Antelope” 10.24.95, Madison, WI
“Drowned > Rock and Roll” 6.29.2000, PNC
“Antelope” 12.9.94, La Mesa, AZ
Space/Weird:
“Drowned” 9.14.00, Darien Lake
“Wolfman’s Brother” 10.31.98, Vegas
“David Bowie” 12.29.94, Providence
“Disease > Free” 6.26.95, SPAC
“Reba > Walk Away” 10.29.98, Los Angeles
Tags: Culture, Mailbag
maybe there’s some nostalgia aspect of non-hd video.
Hey BB…..so friggin slammed at work…. Was sending out crews to Weekapaug Grove all day. Definitely started singing the songs with every job we were dispatching.
BNCB
I want to head to NY to help too, but don’t know if I will hinder, or help. I do have some friends who were impacted greatly so probably helping them out if I get aday off. Just found out I will be working on my days off this coming weekend due to the nor’easter. This might put me anywhere from 14-20 days in a row of 12 hour shifts….. ugh.
Don’t think we will be going to Autumn Colors in Central Park this weekend. 🙁 We were looking forward to taking the little on and hearing some Autumn / NYC inspired Jazz. C’est La Vie
Here are some latest updates on storm restoration for LI and NY.
By the end of the day on Wednesday, November 7, we expect to restore 90% of all customers whose homes and businesses are safe to accept power.
Additionally, those customers in and around the most severely damaged areas of Brookville, St. James and Port Jefferson should expect to be restored in up to another week or more.
We currently estimate there are up to 100,000 customers from the most severely flooded areas whose homes and businesses may be unable to receive power at this time. We are working with local authorities in these communities to determine whether and when these homes and businesses will be fit to safely receive electric service.
However, equipment and appliances inside the region’s homes and businesses have been affected almost everywhere and, in some cases, completely devastated in the hardest hit communities of Long Island’s south shore, Queens and the Rockaways and parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island. Ongoing assessments continue to reveal extensive damage to customer-owned heating equipment and appliances in homes and businesses, which will prohibit them from safely taking service
There are 11,000 people supporting the restoration effort.
what up bitches. hope ya’ll hangin in there.
the economist, mayor bloomberg, and now Ez luongo officially endorse Barry O for prez. lesser of 2 evil asshats I guess.
check the new Action Bronson and alchemist album cover.
if you haven’t checked out the video for the Symbol click on track 3. shit is fuckin hilarious. puts some of the album and cover in context.
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.21773/title.action-bronson-alchemist-rare-chandeliers-tracklist-cover-art/
laterz
now on the AC Birds>Back On the Train
http://vimeo.com/44340650
(after watching Dick’s Light, I’d be more inclined to buy a 3.0 dvd release than an old non-hd one. speaking of which, did they ever release the Indio movie for purchase?)
Great work your doing Halcyon. It is greatly appreciated, have no doubt. People from all over are lending a hand as we dig out of this mess. Can’t break the spirit of the people in this area. We’ve been through a lot since 9/11 and keep coming back.
I could watch the ’98 version of Jon Fishman play drums 24/7. Holy fucking shit!
Thanks Mr P. I am just a cog in the machine as the real credit goes to those in the field. Still it is rewarding knowing that the work I am doing behind the scenes is assisting the restoration efforts.
Last Anthony Bourdain on in 10 minutes. My guilty pleasure, love that shit. I want his gig.
I’m an admitted Heavy Things basher, but the outro Jam in this AC version is killer (as have other 3.0 versions, Worcester in 2011 perhaps is another example)
and hang in there Halcyon. When it’s all over for you, come back to Boston for a beer or two.
Will do Joe.
Still waiting for a Phish 3D release…maybe the theatrical numbers didn’t justify it?
Bells 2 hearted checkin
Anyone hitting Phil at the Wellmont on Wednesday? Hit me up.
I’m pro-performance enhancing precious.
$20 on Saints -3.
Mr P
You listen to the Nick and Artie show at all? I have been loving those guys lately.
Fernando Rodney Dangerfield was pretty funny.
Evening all. Hope everyone in the tristate is doing okay. Last night here in SF, had a hell of a time..love this city. Felt a little guilty leaving friends and family back east though.
Got some new ink tonight at club tattoo on pier 39, new place and super state of the art. Got inked while watching the sun set over the bay behind the golden gate bridge. Phenomenal
Rooster, nick and Artie show good? When is it on?
go vote fools
re: AC heavy things….my first bb meetup was post show ac1 and willowed was loving on that outro. good guy, first beiber i met…two thumbs up for willowed